Main menu

Category Archives: Shibuya 渋谷

Post navigation

Crista is the new restaurant that is in the old Beacon space, run by the same restaurant group, Tysons & Company. Chef David Chiddo oversees the menu and if you are fan of Beacon, TY Harbor, and Cicada, then you will feel at home here.

The interior has changed and the private room has moved from the side of the main dining room to behind the bar, much more intimate. On a recent lunch the energy was not as boisterous as in the past, but more relaxed with diners seeming to linger longer.

One thing that caught my eye when we were seated was the simple dish for bread on the table. It was handmade. I was impressed by many of the dishes that came out. The tableware is Kasama-yaki from Ibaraki. The table is much warmer with these artisan dishes. A nice nod to Japanese artisans.

We started with the tuna tartare with avocado and crispy papadams and a kochi jan sauce. A nice contrast of textures and flavors. I am a big fan of the TY Harbor Caesar salads and have a hard time resisting it.

I loved the Beacon burger and I love the Crista burger, which is an upgrade. The US Prime-grade chuck is ground fresh daily and the fries are new. The ketchup and mayonnaise is made in-house and is oishii.

If you love pork, be sure to try the Waton mochi-buta from Gunma. Japan has great pork and this is one of them. Simply grilled, this will spoil you for pork.

Brendhan, the manager, is very friendly and walked us through the menu. He also assembled the tuna tartare with papadams. The young pastry chef spent some time in NYC which is reflected in this life-changing brownie with caramelized bananas with a caramel ice cream.

Crista is a short walk from either Shibuya or Omotesando stations. There is a nice outdoor seating area that I would like to come back to with a girlfriend when it warms up a bit more. Crista’s brunch looks great. Kim chee fried rice, huevos rancheros,

One of my favorite bakeries in Tokyo is from the famous chef Joel Robuchon, for savory breads made with excellent ingredients. Le Pain de Joel Robuchon has recently opened near Shinjuku station in the NEWoMaN mall. Imagine one of France’s top chefs creating breads and sweets using French and Japanese ingredients? I love the l’Atelier de Joel Robuchon restaurant, but don’t often have the time to sit through a meal, so the boulangerie is a alternative to get my Robuchon fix.

On the left above is a foie gras toast topped with apple and pink peppercorns croque monsieur, the right is my favorite, a cheesy potato bread with lardons. Crispy cheese bits contrasted with potato bites and meaty bacon. How many shops do you know serving foie gras croque monsieur?

Joel Robuchon mushrooms and walnuts

Seasonal breads like this bread with maitake, shimeji, and eringi mushrooms with walnuts change throughout the year. All of the above breads are best reheated in a toaster oven. The green olive fougasse never made it home, it was too hard to resist, and I highly recommend it.

The Roppongi Hills shop has no seating area, but the Shinjuku shop does have a small café seating area by the bakery. There is also a retail shop in the Shibuya Hikarie B2 depachika.

Living in Tokyo it’s good to have a few sushi chain on your radar, especially if you are parents and dining out with kids. Some popular sushiya on the budget side include Midori Sushi, Sushi Zanmai, Sushiro, Choshi Maru, and Kurazushi. One to know about is Uoriki, which is not only a sushiya, but also a seafood retail shop, so the company is buying a lot of seafood and can offer sushi menus at a good value.

Uoriki is unbelievably cheap for what it is offering. The set lunch in the upper right photo was only 1,290 JPY ($13). Check out the size of the anago (simmered sea eel). It also included ikura, chutoro, scallop, and shrimp.

The bottom photo is of silvery skinned fish, which took me a long time to get used to, but now I love these. At lunch this was only 750 JPY and consisted of: Pacific saury, horse mackerel, sardine, Pacific mackerel, and gizzard shad. As these are the fishy in flavor, they are often garnished with ginger, garlic, chives, or even pickled in salt and rice vinegar to make them more palatable.

A very easy branch of Uoriki Sushi to get to is in the Shibuya station building in the Tokyu Toyoko-ten depachika. There are a few shops on the Chuo line which we frequent. The take-away sushi is also very cheap and is usually made without wasabi so it is kid-friendly. Wasabi is served on the side.

The name, Uoriki 魚力, literally means strong fish. What a great name for a seafood retail and restaurant chain.

Fukudaya is a traditional soba-ya on a narrow pedestrian street in the love hotel area on the Shibuya backstreets. The clientele is smart, ranging from fashionable youth to elderly warmly welcomed as regulars. The soba is light and the serving size is generous. Just minutes from the station on the 2nd floor above a 7-11. The older waitstaff and the traditional interior has the feeling of being in shitamachi, the older part of Tokyo.

Rice balls, onigiri or omusubi, may be Japan’s greatest comfort food. I wrote about onigiri for a column on Japanese breakfast in Tokyo for The Japan Times. Omusubi Gonbei is a short walk from Shibuya station.

D47, on top of the Shibuya Hikarie building, is a restaurant the specializes in regional dishes from throughout Japan. The menu changes monthly and is a great chance to try kyōdo ryōri, hyper-regional cuisine, in Tokyo.

The above dish is sōmen from Tokushima. These summer noodles are normally very thin and served cold. These are much thicker than usual and bringing a richer texture and flavor to what is usually a light meal.

D47 Nagano Rōman

This second plate was from back in March while Tokyo was still waiting to warm up. I ordered this as I have a soft spot in my heart for paté and cured meats from Nagano. The main dish, Rōman, is a stir-fry of vegetables and meat, in this case, duck.

The wine list at D47 features Japanese wines by-the-glass including some of my favorites, Yamanashi Grace Winery Koshu and Tochigi Coco Farm Awa Coco. Diners can do a flight of Japanese wine as well. There is also a rich selection of Japanese tea.

The restaurant has floor to ceiling windows that overlook Shibuya station. It’s a popular restaurant, so time your visit accordingly. And, leave extra time in your schedule to visit their sister exhibit and shop on the same floor.

D47 is part of the d-department business that includes publishing, retail, and restaurants that showcase and keep alive regional cuisine and products. Near the restaurant is a D47 Museum and a D47 retail shop. The shop includes tableware, kitchenware, and food products sourced from artisanal

Katsu curry is a great fusion dish of two Japanese classics, tonkatsu and curry. Near Shibuya station is Jōtō Curry, originally from Osaka.

When you come into the 2nd floor shop, you’ll find the vending machine for tickets just to your right. There are photos for the main dishes. The signature katsu curry button is on the top left. There is a long counter overlooking the kitchen with seating for about 15 and a small table to the back. What caught me off guard was the country music on the soundtrack, I think it was 70’s Johnny Cash. After a while though, it just felt right. I wanted to sing along to Hey, hey, good-lookin’, whatcha got cookin’, but resisted the urge.

On the counter there are two small pots. The light brown pot had bright red salty pickles and the dark brown pot was packed with pickled sweet cabbage. There is also a dispenser for powdered chili powder, which you’ll need if you like your curry hot as this is mild curry.

The country music is only interrupted by the sound of the pork cutlets being fried and the chef cutting the tonkatsu into smaller slices.

The chopped pork cutlet is presented on a bed of rice that is covered with curry. Add your pickles and dig in. On a recent afternoon I was the only girl in the shop. It was filled with salarymen and students on their lunch break.

Toppings could be added, like a raw egg or grated cheese. Options include ebi furai (deep-fried shrimp), eggplant, or pickled rakkyo (shallots). Most of the diners were ordering the katsu curry.

On the back streets of Shibuya, a short walk from Mark City and the Inokashira line is Hayashi ramen. There are only 10 seats at a counter overlooking the open kitchen. The ramen at Hayashi is a rich blend of pork and seafood. Meaty and smoky aromas from the bowl are accented with a fresh green punch from the julienned leeks. The thick straight noodles stand up to the rich broth. The toppings of the egg and pork round out this umami-rich bowl. For all that is going on in the bowl, it is well-balanced. No wonder the long lines.

I walk by the shop every few weeks and there is usually a long line. I was lucky to have come recently when the line was shorter than usual and jumped at the chance to try the bowl I have heard much about, and am glad that I did.

Purchase your ticket at the vending machine up front. There are only three options:

Share this:

** Note, reservations required. Kotaro is very popular and not many spots open up each month as regulars make their next reservations on their way out.

Kotaro is named after the owner and chef who prepares all of the food in an open kitchen behind a large wooden counter. I was introduced to Kotaro by a food writer who introduces me to the best spots around the city.

Selection of saké cups on the counter. Each saké is served with a different cup. It’s always interesting to try saké from different cups, and curious to see which ones the staff picks for each person as they are not always the same.

The concept behind the saké list is very simple. Kotaro has selected eight breweries that he is fond of and only serves from these eight. When I first heard this I thought it was limiting. However, the brilliance behind this is that as he has strong connections with these breweries he is able to get limited release saké for his restaurant. Many of what we had this evening will be hard to find elsewhere in Tokyo. He also likes the styles of these breweries and his cuisine works well with these.

The first course at Koutaro is always a bean dish. Again, very simple concept, but when executed correctly is very rewarding. I also loves the tableware he uses, like this intricate blue and white dish. There is katsuobushi (dried and shaved skipjack tuna) garnishing the beans, greens, and mushrooms.

Most Japanese will start the night off with a beer and then move onto saké. At izakaya with a good saké list, I like to start off with a sparkling saké, which Kotaro usually has on hand.

Otsukuri, or sashimi course.

The izakaya has a long counter facing the open kitchen, or if you come with friends you can get a table. The staff speak English and can explain the dishes. The menu is only in Japanese, so I recommend telling the staff, “omakase” (oh-mah-kah-say) and letting Kotaro serve you some of their signature dishes. Tell them if there is anything you like, and more importantly, you don’t like.

Basashi (horse meat sashimi) 馬刺し from Canada of all places. Kumamoto prefecture in Kyushu (southern Japan) is famous for basashi and I have become a big fan of it. It’s very meaty and like eating steak tartare.

Oyster on the half shell. 生牡蠣

The restaurant is popular so you have to book well in advance. You could call from overseas to place your reservation, about a month in advance. I believe the phone lines open up at 1:30 p.m. The staff can take your reservation in English.

Japanese-style potato salad is a common dish found at casual izakaya so I was surprised to find it here at Koutaro. That being said, potato salad is a comfort food that almost everyone loves. And, this one was topped with a smoked, hard-boiled egg. Something I can’t make at home. The dressing is a classic vinaigrette.

Menchi katsu is one of Kotaro’s signature dishes. Ground meat that is breaded and deep-fried. Surprisingly very good with a hearty saké.

Another tip, ask them to give you different temperatures of saké. It’s fun to try hot and cold and to see how the flavor changes as a hot saké cools down.

The last dish is his signature udon noodles that he makes each evening from scratch after the store closes. Kotaro is from Kagawa, on the island of Shikoku. This is the heart of udon country. In Tokyo, most meals end with rice, so the handmade udon noodles is a great spin.

He serves a Japanese-style carbonara with a raw egg, butter, and soy sauce. He also does a cold udon noodle simply garnished with grated daikon and soy sauce.

It’s usually a young, hip crowd here. It’s always busy. They do serve until late at night, so if you can’t get in early, try and book later in the evening.

Kotaro is a short walk from Shibuya station. It’s a bit hard to find, so make sure you have Google Maps, or go by taxi, to be safe. If you go, please tell him Yukari sent you. 🙂

Having lived in NYC I was spoiled with many options for pizza by the slice. My favorite was Two Boots and there was one in the West Village near my home. I would have taxi drivers bring me there if were returning home from an overseas trip.

I love Rocco’s New York-Style Pizza but it is up in Oji, a part of town I never get to. It’s been two years since I last went. I’d love to go back, but it’s a hike.

I am thrilled to have finally made it to Pizza Slice in Shibuya and even happier that it is good New York pizza. Thin, crispy crust, that almost took me back to Two Boots. The pepperoni by the slice is 500 JPY. Nice tomato sauce and pepperoni, just like in New York City. The slices are warmed up after you order and brought to your table.

Even the cashier had an attitude and was kind of bitchy when I asked for a receipt. I totally felt like I was back home. I guess we get spoiled in Japan with polite service.

Even the room feels like you are in America. A mix of large communal and small tables. A counter on the side to sit. There is a large display of the variety of pizzas to choose from. The crowd this afternoon was a mix of Japanese and non-Japanese, all young and even a gaggle of high school boys.

Best of all, Pizza Slice is in Shibuya, a neighborhood that I get to very often. It’s about a ten-minute walk from the station, faster if you know where you are going. Here’s hoping they open their first branch on the Chuo line.